Specnova specializes in improving bioavailability, performance and efficacy of plant compounds, vitamins, minerals amino acids and peptides. The companies will continue to work independently while bringing together their offerings and expertise.
“Our customers won’t feel any difference in the short term, as both companies will continue to operate independently, so they can expect business to continue as usual,” said Alexandre Valls-Coma, CEO of HTBA. “In the longer term, the Specnova and HTBA teams will work together to look at how we can enhance and develop our science-backed ingredient portfolios, giving both our customers and other key players in the health and nutrition industry more choice, paving the way for cutting-edge market innovation.”
Valls-Coma said in a statement that Specnova was a natural fit to complement HTBA’s existing offerings, unlocking new opportunities for its customers.
Sebastian Balcombe, founder and CEO of Specnova, said its commitment to technology, clinical research and intellectual property and customer service will not change.
“What changes is the scope of what we are able to offer, both to our existing customers in North America and to customers in markets where HTBA is already established,” he said.
Specnova’s innovation landscape
Specnova is known for several technologies, most notably Lipovantage, what the company deems as a state-of-the-art ingredient delivery system that offers high bioavailability and high potency in a free-flowing powder.
For example, Balcombe explained that vitamin C is unstable in the higher pH of the small intestine but that his team has shown that the Lipovantage liposomal delivery executed over a 20% increase in concentration for the vitamin as compared to non-liposomal vitamin C.
Another of Specnova’s technologies, NovaQSpheres, can deliver beadlets formulated with four layers of creatine wrapped in polymers that protect creatine waste during digestion, providing greater creatine muscle saturation and support prolonged muscle feeding and uptake.
“I’ve been involved with creatine for close to 30 years, and it’s one of those ingredients that’s so effective on its own,” Balcombe said at the time. “It’s incredibly difficult to improve on it, especially with creatine monohydrate just having such an incredibly high bioavailability.”
However, it is difficult getting creatine from the blood and into the muscle. NovaQSpheres solves that problem with its patent-pending technology providing precision-controlled release of active ingredients, addressing the common issue of rapid absorption and short half-life in the body associated with several products on the market.
Specnova also developed clinically backed branded ingredients including NooGandha, liposomal ashwagandha, NordicCherry tart cherry extract and RiboBeauty redcurrant blackcurrant extract.
Valls-Coma said Specnova is a natural fit to bring technologies that complement HTBA’s existing offering and provide a catalyst to accelerate future developments.
“Together, we can combine our strengths to unlock new opportunities for our customers, while allowing both businesses to build on what we do best,” he said.
